


Like He's Drowning

by helens78



Category: Equilibrium (2002)
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-09-27
Updated: 2006-09-27
Packaged: 2017-10-05 20:09:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helens78/pseuds/helens78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jurgen finds out why Partridge started taking the Librium in the first place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like He's Drowning

"It's going to be a debacle."

"Don't be melodramatic, Mary."

"This isn't melodrama, Jurgen, this is reality. A Cleric? We're never going to keep him here against his will--"

"The point is it won't _be_ against his will." Jurgen sighs. "I'm not asking your advice, I'm not asking your permission. You don't have last approval over this. He's in. I'll be looking after him."

"God, I hope you're right about this."

"I'm always right."

Mary rolls her eyes and spins on her heel. She lets herself out of Jurgen's study, but on the up-side, she doesn't slam the door on her way out.

* * *

"What do you miss?"

"What--" Partridge frowns, but the frown's a good sign. Jurgen raises his eyebrows, hoping Partridge'll keep going -- at least finish the thought. "I didn't miss anything at first, you know? I was glad enough to take the Librium because it seemed so rational."

"I know." It never seemed rational to Jurgen, but that isn't the point. This is Partridge's story, and Jurgen's happy to hear it any way Partridge wants to tell it.

"And then we gave up music and art and theater and -- do you remember when they started putting food on the EC-10 lists? I think my mother cried when they took away butter. I thought she was being foolish..." Partridge glances up. "I miss dandelions."

"Dandelions?"

"The little white tufts of those damned weeds -- my father used to call them that -- he spent so long trying to keep them out of the garden, and then I'd grab one up and puff away at it, watching all those little seeds soar away on the breeze..." Partridge closes his eyes. "I can't stay here forever. And if I go back they'll find you. Sooner or later they'll find you."

"Don't think about it. Right now you don't have to think about it. Just be."

Jurgen reaches out and puts a hand on Partridge's shoulder. Partridge's head snaps to the side, eyes fixed on Jurgen's hand--then tracking up his arm, up to his face, eyes meeting Jurgen's.

"I started taking the Librium when they took everything away from us," Partridge says softly. "When they forced my lover out of our house because we were two men living together. I thought there was no point in feeling anything anymore if I couldn't..."

Jurgen leans down and kisses Partridge. It's slow and it's easy, but it's contact. It doesn't surprise him that Partridge holds on like he's drowning.

_-end-_


End file.
